If you're anything like me you were annoyed and confused when the mandarin (played awesomely by Ben Kingsley) was revealed to be a mere stooge in a larger plan.

Here is something i found helped on a second viewing. Feel free to use this yourself.

On a second/third/multiple viewings of the mostly excellent Iron Man 3 have yourself a BIG drink and i mean a BIG ****in' drink. S
Swag it down in the first half hour of the film, fill that bladder up to bursting point.
As the mandarin reveal scene approaches leave the cinema go for a piss.

Imagine that during his siege of the mansion Tony bursts into the Mandarins "Throne room" while he is recording and faces him down with a gun. Mandarins entire crew is there as Tony breaks in including Killian, some guards, film crew the works. Every gun in the room is pointed at Tony but he has the killshot on Mandarin. The villain keeps his cool and the two exchange words.
Some expeditionary dialogue could take place here, detailing Mandarins agenda and motivations. You could make this guy a MAJOR player in The Iron Man films, explore his involvement with the 10 rings. Reveal that it was he who arranged for Ivan Vanko to turn up at the Grand Prix.
Kingsley in Mandarin persona having a verbal battle with RDJ in tony stark persona would just be cinema gold. Imagine Mandarin countering all of Starks usual arrogance and bravado, dryly countering everything he says, pushing him further and further to the edge, Mandarin breaking Tony (not psychically like Bane but certainly psychologically) would also play really well to the strengths of Tony Starks overall Arc in Iron Man 3 (The anxiety and ineptness he feels)
The mandarin could reference the events of the Avengers to get to Tony, maybe even call back the "How did you get out of the wormhole?" Line from earlier in the movie.
This scene would also be a perfect place for stuff from the trailer that wasn't actually in the film to take place such as when The Mandarin asks Tony if he wants an empty life or a meaningful death and the scene where mandarin outstretches his arms in his robes, maybe he outright invites tony to kill him and make him a matyr.
As Tony finally snaps he shoots at the mandarin but his gun misfires/jams/is out of ammo (whatever works for ya) then he is taken away by Killians men.
Return to the theater
All you have to do now are three things

*Ignore all dialogue that contradicts the mandarin being anything other than a legit terrorist

*Ignore any scenes with trevor. Tony and Rhodey find the Air Force one plan out from a goon on the boat.

*The end scene where trevor is being arrested you have to imagine that this is some kind of raid in which the mandarin is captured. It could even be cool for them to say "We caught a body double the mandarins still out there", not only is everyone happy but you get to keep your ridiculous plot twist.

And there you have it people, not perfect but it certainly helps sugar the pill and may help you enjoy what is mostly a good film a lil more.

Newjak

Closing please post this in the IM 3 thread. We are starting to get too many IM 3 threads. I allowed the Mandarin one so people could talk about the twist without posting spoilers for other people.